Why do porta potties smell at parties?
A porta potty smells when waste sits in warm air with too many uses for the deodorizer in the tank. A standard tank holds about 60 gallons, rated around 200 uses. Sun, heat and too many guests per unit push a tank past that point within 1 long afternoon.
Odor is almost always a math problem or a placement problem. Fix the guest count and the spot, and most of the smell goes away.
Where should the porta potty go so guests don't smell it?
Set the porta potty downwind of the food and seating, with the door facing away from the tables. Shade from a building or a tree line helps, as long as the truck can park within about 30 feet. Guests should reach the unit easily without walking past the food line.
Watch which way the wind usually blows across your yard in the afternoon. Put the unit on that far side. Keep it in plain view, though, so guests are not wandering into the house.
More spot tips are in our porta potty placement checklist.
How many porta potties keep a party from smelling?
Our sizing method is 1 unit per 50 guests for parties up to 4 hours, 1 per 40 for 5 to 8 hours, and 1 per 30 past 8 hours. Add 1 unit for every 4 base units when alcohol is served, with a minimum of 1. Fewer uses per tank means less odor.
| Party | Base units | Alcohol? | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 guests, 4 hours | 1 | No | 1 |
| 80 guests, 6 hours | 2 | Yes, add 1 | 3 |
| 120 guests, 5 hours | 3 | Yes, add 1 | 4 |
| 150 guests, 9 hours | 5 | No | 5 |
For a public event, the 2010 ADA Standards say at least 5% of units in each cluster, and no fewer than 1, should be accessible. Read ADA Standards section 213.2 and confirm with your venue. The porta potty calculator runs other guest counts.
Does a hand wash station help with porta potty odor?
A hand wash station keeps soap, water and paper towels outside the unit, so guests spend less time inside and leave less trash in the tank. Plan 1 hand wash station per 2 to 3 toilets when food is served. Each station has 2 foot-pump sinks and about 20 gallons of water.
Set the station a few steps from the porta potty door, on the path back to the food. Add a trash can next to the station for used towels. See hand wash station rental for setup details.
What can guests do to keep the porta potty fresh?
Guests keep a porta potty fresh with 3 habits: shut the door after every use, keep trash out of the toilet, and tell the host when the paper runs low. A shut door lets the roof vent pull air up and out. Trash in the tank adds odor fast.
Put a small trash can outside the door for cups, wipes and diapers. A sign that says "toilet paper only" works better than you would think. Keep a few spare rolls from the house in a dry spot nearby.
Can the porta potty be cleaned during the party?
Event units arrive pumped, washed, sanitized and stocked the day before the party. There is no mid-event service on 1-day events, so the fix for a long or crowded party is 1 extra unit, not a cleaning visit. Weekend rentals sit from Friday to Monday for the price of 1 event day.
Every event unit comes from our event-only fleet, with toilet paper and hand sanitizer already inside. For a dressier event, a deluxe flushing unit adds a foot-pump flush and an inside sink. Read more on event porta potty rental.